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          SVP's 'Winners': Chiefs cover, but it's Ravens-49ers in the Super Bowl

          • Scott Van Pelt, Host, SportsCenter with SVPJan 25, 2024, 11:35 AM
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              Scott Van Pelt joined ESPN in Spring 2001 as the network's lead professional golf reporter. He has since become a SportsCenter anchor, primarily hosting the 11 p.m. ET edition while remaining the lead reporter and host of the network's coverage of golf's grand slam events. In April 2008 he was named co-host of ESPN Radio's Tirico & Van Pelt weekday show (2-4 p.m. ET on weekdays). A native of Brookville, Md., Van Pelt graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor's degree in radio/television and film.

          Only three more games to pick before we mercifully can turn the page and focus on the fall. By then, we will have forgotten how bad things have gone this year -- but we don't expect you to. Receipts won't be tough to come by. It's fine, and it's fair. We enjoyed the highs of the past two seasons. We own the struggles of this one.

          Ok, here we go for championship weekend (Editor's note: SVP is 3-1 all-time against the spread in "Winners" on championship weekend). I will start with this - I think it's Baltimore and San Francisco in a rematch of the game the Ravens dominated in California. But I think it's different paths to get there this weekend.

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          Sunday's NFL picks

          AFC Championship

          Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens (-3.5, 44.5)
          3 p.m. ET, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore

          Van Pelt's pick: Chiefs +3.5

          The fear for Kansas City must be that after facing Miami and Buffalo, whose defense were absolutely devastated by injury, they face a Baltimore team that has the best defense in the NFL and looked the part last week in suffocating Houston. Kansas City doesn't get blown out with Patrick Mahomes at QB -- just doesn't happen. So, while I believe the Ravens win, I think it is close, and 3 1/2 points is candy we will take.

          SVP: 1-5 all-time when picking against the Ravens

          NFC Championship

          Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers (-7, 50.5)
          6:30 p.m. ET, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.

          Van Pelt's pick: 49ers -7

          I am laying them in the NFC title game. My guess -- and it's just a guess -- is the Niners got their poor game out of the way and the Lions away from home have not been as formidable. Their story is hard to resist, they've made massive strides this year. I believe it ends, for this year, in Santa Clara.

          SVP: 2-3 all-time when picking an NFL team favored by at least 7 points

          So... Niners more comfortably than Baltimore, and that's a wrap.